THE DARK LADY

Written by Jessica B. Hill

A co-production with Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival Inc.

June 15 – July 2 | 2023

The Dark Lady, directed by SIR’s Rodrigo Beilfuss, is a dynamic, sensual and witty duet that dismantles our conventional views on Shakespeare through the perspective of a dark-skinned contemporary of his, poetess Emilia Bassano – the possible ‘dark lady’ that appears in his sonnets.  

Bassano was trilingual, multiracial, a talented musician and the first Englishwoman to publish her own poetry. In the play, these two poets come intimately together in a complex love story about artistic collaboration, desire, and ambition. Stratford’s Jessica B. Hill, who delighted Winnipeg audiences in the Winter of 2022 with her solo piece PANDORA, is Emilia Bassano, while Winnipeg’s Eric Blais had the peculiar honour of being William Shakespeare. The score was arranged and performed live by Spanish/Classical guitarist George Bajer-Koulack.

4.5 stars, The Winnipeg Free Press: “Hill’s spirited, snappy dialogue cracks like a whip…”

“The Dark Lady is absolutely immersive…when Bassano says ‘I want to get so good, they can’t say no’, it’s a rallying cry for all creatives working from the margins…with this world-premiere, Hill is making her own indelible mark on the Canadian theatre scene.” – The Saskatoon Star Phoenix 

“A Masterclass in what theatre-in-the-round can and should be…a powerful exploration of love, loss and legacy…” – Podsask 

Performed at The Ruins @ Trappist Monastery Provincial Heritage Park

The Dark Lady Program